Cleveland man gets prison for slaying of teen in 1984

CLEVELAND (AP) — A Cleveland man has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the 1984 rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl who was abducted as she walked to school.

A three-judge panel on Friday sentenced 59-year-old Hernandez Warren for the beating death of Gloria Pointer. Warren had pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and rape in an agreement that allowed him to avoid the death penalty.

The teen’s death had been one of Cleveland’s best-known unsolved murders. The Cuyahoga County medical examiner’s office last year used updated DNA technology to match evidence found on the girl to Warren, who had spent time in prison for rape and assault.

Warren’s attorney says he’s pleased that Warren’s life was spared and hoped it would bring closure to Gloria Pointer’s family.